Endoscope apparatus

ABSTRACT

An endoscope apparatus includes an insertion part having an imaging mechanism at a distal end portion and which is bendable and elongated; a display part which displays an image acquired by an imaging mechanism; a manipulating part which performs curving manipulation of the insertion part; and a housing which the display part and the manipulating part are provided to a front face thereof, and which connects the insertion part with a back face opposite to the front face. The housing is capable of being self-supported in a state where the edge of the back face at the display part, and a connecting portion between the insertion part and the housing are brought into contact with the ground.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus, and moreparticularly, to an endoscope apparatus in which a manipulating partthat curves an insertion part and a display part that displays an imageacquired by the insertion part are accommodated in the same housing.This application is a claims continuation application based on a PCTPatent Application No. PCT/JP2010/073281, filed on Dec. 24, 2010, thecontent of which is incorporated herein by reference.

2. Description of Related Art

An endoscope apparatus including an imaging mechanism at a distal endportion of a long insertion part is widely used for observation of aspecimen beyond an elongated insertion path, internal observation of aspecimen, or the like.

In recent years, as one direction for improvement of endoscopeapparatuses, it is being studied in which a display part that displaysan image acquired by an insertion part and a manipulating part thatperforms curving manipulation of the insertion part are accommodated inone housing, and in which carrying and manipulation of an endoscopeapparatus are made easy.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No.2004-109222 discloses an endoscope apparatus in which a display part anda manipulating part are accommodated in a common housing. In thisendoscope apparatus, a monitor part is arranged at one end of thehousing, and a substantially rod-shaped grip is formed at the other end.A manipulating part having a joystick is arranged between the grip and amonitor part. When a user manipulates the joystick, the user manipulatesthe joystick with a thumb with the rod-shaped grip being gripped.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention, an endoscope apparatus ofthe present invention includes an insertion part having an imagingmechanism at a distal end portion and which is bendable and elongated; adisplay part which displays an image acquired by the imaging mechanism;a manipulating part which performs curving manipulation of the insertionpart; and a housing which the display part and the manipulating part areprovided to a front face side thereof, and which connects the insertionpart with a back face opposite to the front face, wherein the housing iscapable of being self-supported in a state where the edge of the backface at the display part, and a connecting portion between the insertionpart and the housing are brought into contact with the ground, andwherein when the user performs a predetermined manipulation input, thedisplay mode of the display part is switched from a standard mode to aninverted mode corresponding to a manipulation in a state where theoperating part is located above the display part and self-supported.

According to a second aspect of the invention, in the inverted mode,character information and thumbnail images to be displayed on thedisplay part is vertically reversed with respect to the standard mode.

According to a third aspect of the invention, a ground contact memberthat enhances a frictional coefficient may be attached to the edge.

According to a forth aspect of the invention, a reinforcing member thatis attached to a proximal end portion of the insertion part connected tothe housing, and holds the proximal end portion in the shape of astraight line.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, a self-supportingauxiliary member that has a ground contact face and that is attached toa proximal end portion of the insertion part connected to the housingand assists the housing in self-supporting.

According to a sixth aspect of the invention, the manipulating part hasa manipulating rod which is capable of being swung, and wherein aproximal end portion of the insertion part connected to the housing andthe manipulating rod are coaxially arranged in a neutral state of themanipulating rod.

According to a seventh aspect of the invention, wherein the manipulatingpart has a manipulating rod which is capable of being swung, and amechanical curving mechanism in which the manipulating rod and themanipulating member are connected together, and the manipulating memberis advanced or retreated by manipulating the manipulating rod to curvethe insertion part.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing an endoscope apparatus ofone embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first joystick and a manipulatingmechanism of the endoscope apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a back view of a housing of the endoscope apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view in an upper portion of the housing in afront-and-rear direction.

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the housing.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a manipulating part, a display part,and a housing part of the endoscope apparatus along the center axis ofan insertion part.

FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram of the endoscope apparatus.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a ground contact aspect in an inverted mode ofthe endoscope apparatus.

FIG. 9A is a view showing an example of screen display in a standardmode of the endoscope apparatus.

FIG. 9B is a view showing an example of screen display in the invertedmode of the endoscope apparatus.

FIG. 10A is a view showing an example of screen display in the standardmode.

FIG. 10B is a view showing an example of screen display in the invertedmode.

FIG. 11 is a view showing an example of a user's hand holding thehousing of the endoscope apparatus.

FIG. 12 is an overall perspective view showing an endoscope apparatus ofa modified example of the invention.

FIG. 13 is an overall perspective view showing an endoscope apparatus ofa modified example of the invention.

FIG. 14A is a schematic view showing the shape of a grip face in themodified example of the invention.

FIG. 14B is a schematic view showing the shape of a grip face in theendoscope apparatus of the modified example of the invention.

FIG. 14C is a schematic view showing the shape of a grip face in theendoscope apparatus of the modified example of the invention.

FIG. 14D is a schematic view showing the shape of a grip face in theendoscope apparatus of the modified example of the invention.

FIG. 14E is a schematic view showing the shape of a grip face in theendoscope apparatus of the modified example of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An endoscope apparatus of one embodiment of the invention will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11. An endoscope apparatus 1 ofthe present embodiment is used for observation of a specimen beyond anelongated insertion path, internal observation of a specimen, or thelike. As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope apparatus 1 includes a longinsertion part 10, a manipulating part 20 for performing curvingmanipulation of the insertion part 10, a display part 40 that displaysan image acquired by the insertion part 10, and a housing part 60including a housing 61 that accommodates the manipulating part 20 andthe display part 40.

The insertion part 10 has a well-known configuration in which a distalend portion thereof includes an illumination mechanism 12, such as anobservation optical system 11 and an LED, and an imaging mechanism, suchas a CCD (not shown). The insertion part 10 can acquire an image, suchas a still image, a moving image, or the like of a specimen in front ofthe distal end portion. Additionally, the insertion part 10 has awell-known curving portion 13 in which a plurality of joint rings orcurvable pieces (hereinafter generically referred to as “joint rings orthe like”) that is not shown is arranged and coupled together in thedirection of an axis. The insertion part 10 can be curved in fourdirections apart from the center axis in two axes that intersect its owncenter axis. Manipulating members, such as four wires that correspondsto the four directions, are connected to a joint ring or the like at themost distal end among the plurality of joint rings or the like. Eachmanipulating member extends to the inside of the housing part 60 througheach joint ring or the like, and is connected to the manipulating part20.

The manipulating part 20 has a first joystick (manipulating rod) 21 formanipulating the curving portion 13, a second joystick 22 formanipulating a cursor or the like displayed on the display part 40, anda curving mechanism manipulated via the first joystick 21.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the first joystick 21 and the curvingmechanism 23. The curving mechanism 23 includes a frame body 24, and aswinging body 25 attached to the frame body 24. The frame body 24 isformed of a material having a certain rigidity, such as metal, andincludes a swinging body accommodation portion 26 to which the swingingbody is attached, and a guide portion 27 provided to extend from theswinging body accommodation portion 26.

The swinging body 25 includes a first member 28 rotatably attached tothe frame body 24, a second member 29 rotatably attached to the firstmember 28, and a manipulating member fixing portion 30 attached to thesecond member 29.

The first member 28 is formed of metal, resin, or the like, and has arotating shaft portion 28A. The swinging body accommodation portioninclude s the first end 26A to which the guide portion 27 extends, andthe second end 26B which is opposite to the first end 26A. The firstmember 28 is attached to the second end 26B of the swinging bodyaccommodation portions 26 so as to be able to rotate on the axis of therotating shaft portion 28A by a predetermined range.

The second member 29 is formed of metal, resin, or the like, and has asubstantially columnar shaft portion 29A and a rotating shaft portion29B that is formed substantially in the shape of a column and is formedat one end of the shaft portion 29A. The center axis of the shaftportion 29A and the center axis of the rotating shaft portion 29B areorthogonal to each other.

The second member 29 is attached to the first member 28 so that both ofthe axis of the shaft portion 29A and the axis of the rotating shaftportion 29B are orthogonal to the center axis of the rotating shaftportion 28A of the first member 28. The second member 29 can be rotatedabout the axis of the rotating shaft portion 29B with respect to thefirst member 28 in a predetermined range by a cutout portion 28B whichis formed in the first member 28 so as not to interfere with the shaftportion 29A.

The manipulating member fixing portion 30 includes a first arm portion31 that protrudes toward both sides in a first direction, and a secondarm portion (not shown) that protrudes toward both sides in a seconddirection which is orthogonal to the first arm portion. Ends of the fourmanipulating members 14 extending from the insertion part 10 are fixedto both longitudinal ends of the first arm portion 31 and the second armportion. A connecting member 15 is attached to the end of eachmanipulating member 14. Both longitudinal ends of the first arm portion31 and the second arm portion are provided with receiving members 32 towhich the connecting members 15 are attached. Each manipulating member14 is connected and fixed to the manipulating member fixing portion 30by fitting each connecting member 15 into each receiving member 32.

As shown in FIG. 2, the swinging body 25 is attached to the second end26B of the swinging body accommodation portion 26 so that the centeraxis of the shaft portion 29A of the second member 29 becomessubstantially coaxial with the center axis of the guide portion 27 ofthe frame body 24. The four manipulating members 14 extending from theinsertion part 10 are connected to the manipulating member fixingportion 30 through the guide portion 27. The shape of the frame body 24is set so as not to interfere with the swinging of the swinging body 25,and the push or pull (advance or retreat) of the manipulating member 14accompanying this.

The first joystick 21 is attached to the second member 29 so as tobecome substantially coaxial with the shaft portion 29A of the secondmember 29. Accordingly, the first joystick 21 is inclined in arbitrarydirections, so that the swinging body 25 can be swung with respect tothe frame body 24 and the manipulating member 14 connected to themanipulating member fixing portion 30 can be advanced or retreated inthe longitudinal direction of the insertion part 10. As a result, thecurving portion 13 can be curved in a direction opposite to thedirection in which the first joystick 21 is inclined.

The second joystick 22 is an electrical manipulating mechanism of whichone end is attached to a substrate. The inclined direction of the secondjoystick 22 is inputted to the substrate there by, a cursor is moved inthe direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the display part 40 has a well-known configurationincluding a display 41, such as an LCD, and a control substrate (to bedescribed below) that controls display of the display 41. An aspect inwhich the display part 40 is accommodated in the housing 61 will bedescribed in detail in the description of the housing part 60.

The housing part 60 includes a housing 61 in which the manipulating part20 and the display part 40 are accommodated, a reinforcing member 62attached to a connecting portion between the housing 61 and theinsertion part 10, and a holder (self-supporting auxiliary member) 63attached to the proximal end of the insertion part 10.

The housing 61 is formed of resin or the like, and includes an upperportion 64 provided with the display part 40, and a lower portion 65connected to the upper portion 64 and having the manipulating part 20arranged therein.

FIG. 3 is a back view of the housing 61 that is shown with the holder 63shown in FIG. 1 is omitted. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the upper portion64 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shapecorresponding to the display 41 of the display part 40, and the display41 is arranged at a front face 64A. Within the back face 64B of theupper portion 64, fins 66 for heat dissipation are provided on the upperside of a back face 64B, and a lid 67 of a battery accommodation portion(to be described below) is provided on the lower side of the back face64B. Furthermore, ground contact members 68 made from rubber, elastomer,or the like are attached to two locations of a top side edge of the backface 64B so as to enhance the frictional coefficient. Moreover, fittings69 for attaching accessories, such as a strap, are attached to the lowerside to which the lower portion 65 is connected.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the upper portion 64 in thefront-and-rear direction. Within the upper portion 64, the display part40 is accommodated at the front face 64A, and the battery B is arrangedat the back face 64B. A control board 42 having an IC 43 is connected tothe display 41. The control board 42 is accommodated on the back side ofthe display 41 in a state that the IC 43 is faced to the back face 64B.

The IC 43 that emits heat during operation is accommodated at a positionnear the fins 66 provided at an upper portion of the back face 64B. Aheat-conduction sheet 44 is interposed between the IC 43 and the fins66.

The battery B is accommodated in the battery accommodation portion 74formed closer to the back face than the control board 42. A heatinsulation sheet 75 is arranged at a wall surface on the front side ofthe battery accommodation portion 74 so that the heat emitted from thebattery B is not easily transferred to the display part 40.

Through the above configuration, the IC 43 and the battery B thatgenerate heat when the endoscope apparatus 1 is used are arranged apartfrom each other. Generation of heat from the IC 43 is efficientlydiffused to the outside of the apparatus from the fins 66 through theheat-conduction sheet 44, and generation of heat of the battery B is noteasily transferred to the display part 40 as described above. As aresult, a structure in which display of the display 41 or the like isnot affected while accommodating two heating elements of the IC 43 andthe battery B in the upper portion 64 is realized.

The lower portion 65 is a portion that a user holds with a hand when theendoscope apparatus 1 is used and manipulated. As shown in FIG. 1, thelower portion 65 is connected to the upper portion 64 with an upperfront face 64A, and a front face 65A of the lower portion 65 form apredetermined angle so that the display 41 is easily seen when a userholds the lower portion.

The peripheral edge of the front face 65A is formed by a curve, and hassuch a shape that is constricted and is narrowed at an intermediateportion in a vertical direction and becomes gradually wider toward thelower portion. Furthermore, the peripheral edge of the front face has asymmetrical shape so that the peripheral edge can be suitably held byeither the right or left hands.

The second joystick 22 of the two joysticks of the manipulating part 20is arranged on the lower side of the front face 65A, and the firstjoystick 21 is arranged above the second joystick 22. A straight linethat connects the first joystick 21 and the second joystick 22 togetherare on line where a central portion of the display part 40 in theright-and-left direction (direction orthogonal to the vertical directionof the housing 61), in the plan view of the housing 61. The distal endof the first joystick 21 protrudes above the front face 65A in apredetermined length so as to be easily manipulated by a user holdingthe lower portion 65. The second joystick 22 protrudes from the bottomof a concave portion 70 provided in the front face 65A. The secondjoystick 22 is set to have a height that the distal end thereof does notprotrude from the front face 65A.

As shown in FIG. 3, the insertion part 10 is connected to a back face65B of the lower portion 65. The insertion part 10 extends from anintermediate portion of the back face 65B in the vertical direction. Afirst slope 71 that rises up toward the insertion part 10 is formed onthe side of the back face 65B above the insertion part 10. A secondslope 72 that rises up toward the insertion part 10 is formed below theinsertion part 10. The back face 65B of the lower portion 65 is formedin a shape, which becomes convex rearward in a side view of the housing61, by the first slope 71 and the second slope 72. Through such aconfiguration, the back face 65B of the back face of the housing 61 isused as a portion (grip face) on which user's fingers are arranged whena user holds the housing 61.

The first slope 71 is set to have a dimension such that the index fingerand middle finger of a hand with a standard size can be aligned in thevertical direction and can be hooked simultaneously. The first slope 72functions as a first finger hook portion. The first slope 71 is providedwith a freezing/recording button 71A for recording an image acquired byan imaging means of the insertion part 10 as a still image or a movingimage, and the button can be manipulated by an index finger when a userholds the lower portion 65.

The second slope 72 is set to have a dimension such that the thirdfinger and little finger of a hand with a standard size can be alignedin the vertical direction and can be hooked simultaneously. The secondslope 72 functions as a second finger hook portion. As shown by atwo-dot chain line shown in FIG. 5, the lower portion 65 is formed sothat the cross-sectional area that is parallel to the right-and-leftdirection of the housing 61 and orthogonal to the vertical directionbecomes gradually smaller toward the lower end by providing the secondslope 72. The second slope 72 has a first holding face 72A and a secondholding face 72B that incline toward the peripheral edges of the backface 65B in the right-and-left direction respectively. Additionally, thesecond slope 72 has a third holding face 72C that extends toward a lowerperipheral edge of the back face 65B, and connects the first holdingface 72A to the second holding face 72B. Thereby, the second slope 72 isformed in a shape which becomes convex toward the back face 65B in abottom view of the housing 61. A friction member 73 made of anelastically deformable material, such as rubber or elastomer, isattached to each face of the second slope 72. This makes the frictionalcoefficient of each holding face higher than other portions of thehousing 61.

The reinforcing member 62 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shapeof which the external diameter of one end is reduced in the shape of ataper. The reinforcing member 62 is arranged so as to cover the proximalend of the insertion part 10 connected to the housing 61 and itssurroundings. The reinforcing member 62 has certain rigidity and theportion of the insertion part 10 which is covered with the reinforcingmember 62 maintains a linear state. That is, the reinforcing member 62functions as a bending stopper that prevents the covered insertion part10 from bending at an steep angle.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the manipulating part 20, thedisplay part 40, and the housing part 60 along the center axis of theinsertion part 10. The holder 63 is formed of resin or the like, and asshown in FIG. 6, has a first through hole 63A with a larger diameter ata first end and has a second through hole 63B with a smaller diameter ata second end. The holder 63 is mounted on the connecting portion betweenthe insertion part 10 and the housing 61 so that the reinforcing member62 is inserted into the first through hole 63A. The internal diameter ofthe second through hole 63B is slightly larger than the externaldiameter of the insertion part 10 so that the through hole allows theinsertion part 10 to be inserted thereinto and held thereby. The secondend of the holder 63 is provided with a ground contact face 63C, and thedetails thereof will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 6, the curving mechanism 23 is accommodated in thelower portion 65 of the housing 61 so that the guide portion 27 islocated at the back face 65B, and the center axis of the insertion part10 and the first joystick 21 in a non-manipulated neutral state are madecoaxial or substantially coaxial with each other.

Since the battery B is accommodated in the upper portion 64 of thehousing 61, the center of gravity of the endoscope apparatus 1 excludingthe insertion part 10 is set to a designed center-of-gravity positionCG1 shown in FIG. 6 when the battery B is mounted and used. The actualcenter-of-gravity position moves slightly due to the allowable range formanufacturing errors or the like in an individual product. However, theactual center-of-gravity position is present within a region within apredetermined radius having the designed center-of-gravity position CG1as a center and that is a region A1 substantially including theconnecting portion between the upper portion 64 and the lower portion65.

FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram of the endoscope apparatus 1. Inaddition to the above described display control unit 51, the endoscopeapparatus 1 includes an image processing unit 52 that processes an imagesignal acquired by the imaging mechanism 56 of the insertion part 10, astorage unit 53 that stores the acquired still image, moving image, orthe like, and a control unit 54 that controls the overall operation ofthe endoscope apparatus 1 including light quantity adjustment or thelike of the illumination mechanism 12.

The image processing unit 52 and the control unit 54 are stored in, forexample, an IC (not shown) that is attached to the control board 42.Various well-known storage media can be used as the storage unit 53.Additionally, the storage unit 53 may be detachably attached to thehousing part 60. The imaging mechanism 56 and the illumination mechanism12 are connected to the image processing unit 52 or the control unit 54by a wiring line 55 that extends to the inside of the housing part 60through the insertion part 10. The second joystick 22 of themanipulating part 20 is electrically connected to the control unit 54via the substrate (not shown).

The operation when the endoscope apparatus 1 configured as describedabove is used will be described.

With the battery B accommodated in and mounted on the batteryaccommodation portion 74, a user starts the endoscope apparatus 1,inserts the distal end of the insertion part 10 into the inside of aspecimen, into an access path to the specimen, or the like, and advancesthe distal end to a part to be observed.

When the user wants to change the orientation of the distal end of theinsertion part 10, the insertion part 10 can be curved in a desiredorientation by manipulating the first joystick 21 of the manipulatingpart 20 to advance or retreat the manipulating member 14 connected tothe curving mechanism 23.

At this time, the user holds the lower portion 65 of the housing 61 soas to wrap around the lower portion with a dominant hand, and places andmanipulates a thumb at the end of the first joystick 21 protruding fromthe front face 65A. An example of the positional relationship betweenuser's fingers and the housing part 60 during the manipulation is shownin FIG. 6. During the manipulation, in a side view of the housing 61, atleast the index finger F1 is located on the first slope 71 of the lowerback face 65B, and the little finger F4 is located on the second slope72. Accordingly, the connecting portion between the insertion part 10and the housing part 60 is located between the index finger F1 and thelittle finger F4, and the insertion part 10 extends from the back face65B that is a grip face.

In the example of FIG. 6, the middle finger F2 is arranged on the firstslope 71 in addition to the index finger F1, and the third finger F3 isarranged on the second slope 72 in addition to the little finger F4.

When the distal end of the insertion part 10 reaches a part to beobserved, the user performs observation or inspection of the specimenwhile manipulating the manipulating part 20. If needed, thefreezing/recording button 71A is manipulated to record a still image, amoving image, or the like of a target part. Various acquired images arestored in the storage unit 53.

When a hand holding the housing 61 gets tired because the operating timebecomes long, the housing 61 can be placed on the ground or on a deskand manipulated. When the housing 61 is placed, as shown in FIG. 8, thetwo ground contact members 68 provided at the upper portion 64, and theconnecting portion between the insertion part 10 and the housing 61,more specifically, the connecting portion is a boundary portion betweenthe reinforcing member 62 and the insertion part 10 including apredetermined range in front of or behind the boundary portion arebrought into contact with the ground. Thereby, the housing 61 issuitably self-supported such that the upper portion 64 is turned downand the lower portion 65 is turned up.

Since the proximal end portion of the insertion part 10 extending fromthe housing 61 is held in the shape of a straight line by thereinforcing member 62, the proximal end portion is suitablyself-supported without the holder 63. However, as shown in FIG. 8, ifthe second end of the holder 63 is turned toward the upper portion 64 ofthe housing 61, the ground contact face 63C is located on the groundcontact face of the housing 61 specified by the connecting portion thatcontacts the ground and the ground contact member 68. As a result, theholder 63 can assist the housing 61 in being suitably self-supporting,and can place the housing 61 in a more stable state. Hereinafter, thestate in which the endoscope apparatus 1 is used with the housing 61placed in this way is referred to as an “inverted mode”.

When the apparatus is used with the housing 61 placed as describedabove, the user performs a predetermined manipulation input via themanipulating part 20 to switch a display mode of a screen. The displaycontrol unit 51 receives an input, and switches the display of thedisplay 41 from a standard mode shown in FIG. 9A to the inverted modeshown in FIG. 9B.

As shown in FIG. 9A, in the standard mode, an image acquired by theimaging means 56 is displayed on the first region R1, and textualinformation, such as a manipulation menu and various parameters, isdisplayed on the second region R2. In the inverted mode shown in FIG.9B, the user views a display on which upper and lower sides areinverted. For this reason, the textual information displayed on thesecond region R2 is vertically flipped from the state in the standardmode, and is displayed. On the other hand, the upper and lower sides ofan image displayed on the first region R1 are not reversed even in theinverted mode. This is provided to keep a correspondence relationshipbetween an image and the manipulation of the first joystick 21.Additionally, when recording is performed by manipulating thefreezing/recording button 71A, there is a purpose storing images in thestorage unit 53 with a vertically-structured relationship being unifiedeven if the images are recorded in any of the standard mode and theinverted mode.

On the other hand, as for a thumbnail screen showing the list of imagesstored in the storage unit 53, it is not necessary to take theabove-described matter into consideration. Therefore, in the invertedmode shown in FIG. 10B, the images are vertically reversed, and arealigned and displayed within the first region R1. As a result, theorientation of a thumbnail image Tn that the user views is the same asthat of the standard mode shown in FIG. 10A. Additionally, as for aretrieve screen (not shown) that displays one image corresponding to anarbitrary thumbnail image Tn selected from the thumbnail screen, animage is vertically reversed and displayed in the inverted mode.

As described above, according to the endoscope apparatus 1 of thepresent embodiment, the first joystick 21 in a neutral state and theinsertion part 10 connected to the housing part 60 are arranged so as tobe coaxial with each other. Therefore, in the mechanical curvingmechanism 23 using the manipulating member 14, the amount of advance orretreat of each manipulating member 14 during curving manipulationbecomes uniform, and the curving portion 13 can be suitably curved.

In the lower portion 65 of the housing 61 in which the curving mechanism23 is accommodated, the first slope 71 is formed above and below theinsertion part 10 and the second slope 72 is formed below the insertionpart 10 at the back face 65B to which the insertion part 10 isconnected. Thereby, the back face 65B is formed in a convex shape thatrises up toward the insertion part 10 in a side view of the housing 61.Accordingly, the hand of the user holding the lower portion 65 isbrought into a state where the palm of the hand is made concave so as towrap around the back face 65B. In addition, at least one finger amongthe four fingers other than the thumb is arranged on the first slope 71and the second slope 72 so as to pinch the insertion part 10 in thevertical direction.

As a result, a force, such as a moment that acts on the housing part 60through the long insertion part 10, can be suitably received by a user'shand regardless of the direction in which the moment acts, and thehousing 61 can be stably held.

Moreover, the position of the center of gravity of the endoscopeapparatus 1 excluding the insertion part 10 is set in theabove-described region A1. Therefore, the user can suitably hold thehousing part 60 with the hand holding the lower portion 65, and cansuitably stabilize the positions of the upper front face 64A and lowerfront face 65A. That is, it is not easily brought about a state whichdifficult to recognize the display part 40 or to manipulate themanipulating part 20 such as the manipulating part 20 of the upper frontface 64A is pushed toward the back face or the lower front face 65Abecomes parallel to the perpendicular direction. As a result,manipulation can be performed with the housing part 60 being held in astate where the display 41 is easily seen and the manipulating part 20is easily manipulated.

Moreover, due to the shape of the lower back face 65B described above, aswinging center 21A of the first joystick 21 is located in a region A2specified by the first slope 71 and the second slope 72 where user'sfingers are arranged when the housing 61 is held and by the distal end21B of the first joystick 21 that protrudes to the front face 65A, in aside view of the housing 61 shown in FIG. 6. Accordingly, a situationwhere the housing part 60 is collapsed due to the force that acts on thehousing part 60 when the first joystick 21 is manipulated can besuitably suppressed, and an endoscope apparatus that does not easilycause fatigue even if being manipulated for a long period of time can beprovided.

Moreover, the second slope 72 has the first holding face 72A and thesecond holding face 72B. Accordingly, the tips of fingers (for example,the third finger F3 and the little finger F4) arranged on the secondslope 72 are arranged along either the first holding face 72A or thesecond holding face 72B when the lower portion 65 is held.

For this reason, as shown in FIG. 11, the fingers F3 and F4, and thelike that are arranged on the second slope 72, and the thumb Th have thepositional relationship of substantially facing each other. As a result,when the first joystick 21 is inclined with the thumb Th in thedirection (for example, the direction of an arrow D1 shown in FIG. 11)separating from the grip side of the hand, such as the direction inwhich the thumb Th extends, the force that acts with inclinationmanipulation by the third finger F3, the little finger F4, and the liketo incline the housing 61 can be suitably received, and to performmanipulation while maintaining a state where the housing 61 isstabilized. This effect is similarly exhibited even in an electricalmotor-driven type in which the curving mechanism uses a motor or thelike. However, since the force that is generated with the manipulationof the first joystick 21 becomes large in a case where a mechanicalcurving mechanism only using a manipulating member is provided, theeffect is greater in the endoscope apparatus like the presentembodiment.

This effect is similarly obtained even when a button or the like isarranged on the front to which the thumb Th extends and the button ismanipulated in the manipulating part 20. An example in a case whereholding and manipulation are performed with the left hand is shown inFIG. 11. In this case, the tip of a finger arranged on the second slope72 is arranged at the second holding face 72B. When a user performsholding and manipulation with the right hand, the tip of a finger isarranged at the first holding face 72A, but the same effect isexhibited.

Moreover, the friction members 73 having elasticity are attached to thefirst holding face 72A and the second holding face 72B. Through thisconfiguration, even when a relatively larger force acts on the fingerarranged on the second slope 72, the positional relationship between thesecond slope 72 and the finger is suitably held. As a result, thehousing part 60 can be held even during manipulation, and stablemanipulation can be performed.

The second joystick 22 protrudes from the bottom of the concave portion70 provided in the front face 65A of a lower, and the height thereof isset so that the distal end of the second joystick does not protrude fromthe front face 65A. For this reason, the second joystick 22 is nothindering the manipulation of the first joystick 21, even the secondjoystick is arranged in a place where the joystick is easily manipulatedby the thumb Th around the first joystick 21 and then, operability canbe further improved.

In addition, the housing can be suitably self-supported such that theupper portion 64 is turned down and the lower portion 65 is turned up,and can be used in the inverted mode by bringing the housing 61 contactwith the ground at the two ground contact members 68 provided at theupper portion 65, and the connecting portion between the insertion part10 and the housing part. For this reason, the housing can be suitablyused even in the manipulation for a prolonged time. Furthermore, throughthe control of the display control unit 41 described above, display ofthe display 41 is easily seen even when being used in the inverted mode,and can be suitably used.

Although the one embodiment of the invention has been describedhitherto, the technical scope of the invention is not limited to theabove respective embodiments, but various modifications can be made torespective constituent elements or omissions thereof can be made,without departing from the scope of the invention.

First, the shape of the grip face in one embodiment of the invention isnot limited to the shape having the first slope and the second slope asdescribed above, and any arbitrary shapes that are convex toward theback face may be adopted. In an endoscope apparatus 81 of a modifiedexample shown in FIG. 12, the grip face 82 is formed in the shape of aspindle that is convex toward the back face. Since such a grip face 82also fits the curve of a finger of a holding user, the finger can besuitably arranged, and stable holding can be performed. In addition, ahand Hd is shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 12 in a state where thefirst joystick 21 is placed at the tip side and the display part 40 isplaced at the grip side. However, it is also possible to turn thedisplay part 40 up and hold the display part similarly to theabove-described endoscope apparatus 1.

FIG. 13 shows an endoscope apparatus 91 of a modified example of thepresent embodiment of the invention in which a grip face 92 is formed inthe shape of a spherical surface. Since such a grip face 92 also fitsthe curve of a finger F of a holding user as schematically shown in FIG.14A, the finger F can be suitably arranged.

FIG. 14B to FIG. 14E schematically show examples of the shape of thegrip face, respectively, in bottom views (the same state as FIG. 5) ofthe housing.

A grip face 94 shown in FIG. 14B or a grip face 95 shown in FIG. 14Chave a first holding face 94A or 95A and a second holding face 94B or95B that rise up from the edges of a housing in the right-and-leftdirection, respectively, and becomes convex toward the back face in thebottom view of the housing. A connecting portion between the firstholding face and the second holding face becomes a top portion 94C or95C. In such a grip face 94 or 95, a user can hook a portion of thefinger F (for example, a first joint) on the top portion 94C or 95C, andcan further stably hold. In the grip face 95, the first holding face 95Aand the second holding face 95B are curved with predetermined curvatureso as to become concave toward the back face. However, since the gripface has a top portion 95C, the fundamental shape of the grip face 95 isconvex toward the back face.

A grip face 96 having a convex portion 96B that protrudes above aspherical fundamental face 96A is shown in FIG. 14D. In such a gripface, a user also can hook a first joint of the finger F on the convexportion 96B, and can stably hold.

A grip face 97 having a concave portion 97B on a spherical fundamentalface 97A is shown in FIG. 14E. In such a grip face, a user can hook afirst joint of the finger F on the concave portion 97B to stabilizeholding. Although the concave portion 97B is not convex toward the backface in the grip face 97, since the grip face has the sphericalfundamental face 97A, the fundamental shape is convex toward the backface.

As such, the grip face can be suitably set according to the applicationof an endoscope apparatus, a target user, or the like while having afundamental shape that is convex toward the back face. In addition, itis sufficient if the grip face is convex toward the back face in atleast one of a side view or a bottom view of the housing. Even if thegrip face is not convex toward the back face in both of the side viewand bottom view as in the endoscope apparatus 1, a user can, to acertain degree, obtain the effect of stably holding the housing.

In the above-described embodiments, the example in which the position ofthe center of gravity of the endoscope apparatus excluding the insertionpart is set within the region A1 of the connecting portion between theupper portion and the lower portion of the housing and its surroundingshas been described. However, even if the center of gravity is out of theregion A1, or even if the center of gravity is set so as to be arrangedwithin the region A3 shown in FIG. 6, a user can, to a certain degree,obtain the effect of stably holding the housing.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, the example in whichthe ground contact members 68 for self-supporting the housing 61 in theinverted mode are arranged at two locations apart from each other hasbeen described. Instead of this, the ground contact members may bearranged on one straight line by a predetermined length (for example, tosuch a degree that two locations where the ground contact members 68 ofthe present embodiment are arranged are connected together) at an upperperipheral edge portion of the upper back face 64B. Even in this way,the housing 61 can be suitably self-supported and can be used in theinverted mode.

Moreover, in the above-described embodiments, the example in which theillumination mechanism 12 is arranged at the distal end of the insertionpart 10 has been described. Instead of this, as in the related-artendoscope apparatus, the light source may be arranged within thehousing, and the light guide member, such as a light guide, may bearranged within the insertion part to supply illumination light to thedistal end of the insertion part.

Furthermore, the invention is suitably applied to an endoscope apparatusin which only a battery can be used as a power source. However, aconfiguration in which electric power can be supplied from an externalpower source in addition to the battery may be adopted. At this time,for example, the position of the center of gravity of the endoscopeapparatus excluding the insertion part may change greatly due to nomounting of a battery. In this case, an endoscope apparatus may beprovided with a dummy member, which has the same shape and size as abattery, is lighter in weight than the battery, and which is capable ofsetting the position of the center of gravity within a predeterminedregion in a state where the dummy member is mounted on a batteryaccommodating portion, and the dummy member may be mounted on thebattery accommodating portion and an endoscope apparatus may be usedwhen an external power source is used.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, the example in whichthe friction members having elasticity are attached to the first holdingface and the second holding face has been described. And so forth, evenif a member that does not deform elastically is selected as the frictionmember, and this member is attached to each holding face so as toenhance only the frictional coefficient, a certain effect can beexhibited.

Moreover, in the above-described embodiments, the example in which thereinforce member and the self-supporting auxiliary member are attachedto the proximal end portion of the insertion part connected to thehousing has been described. In addition, only one of the reinforcingmember and the self-supporting auxiliary member may be attached to theproximal end portion. And so forth, an endoscope apparatus capable ofbeing self-supported only by the connecting portion of the insertionpart, and the edge of the display part side without being attached toany of the reinforcing member and the self-supporting auxiliary membermay be configured.

1. An endoscope apparatus comprising: an insertion part which has animaging mechanism at a distal end portion and which is bendable andelongated; a display part which displays an image acquired by theimaging mechanism; a manipulating part which performs curvingmanipulation of the insertion part; and a housing which the display partand the manipulating part are provided to a front face side thereof, andwhich connects the insertion part with a back face opposite to the frontface, wherein the housing is capable of being self-supported in a statewhere the edge of the back face at the display part, and a connectingportion between the insertion part and the housing are brought intocontact with the ground, and wherein when a user performs apredetermined manipulation input, the display mode of the display partis switched from a standard mode to an inverted mode corresponding to amanipulation in a state where the operating part is located above thedisplay part and self-supported.
 2. The endoscope apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein, in the inverted mode, character information andthumbnail images to be displayed on the display part is verticallyreversed with respect to the standard mode.
 3. The endoscope apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein a ground contact member that enhances africtional coefficient is attached to the edge.
 4. The endoscopeapparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reinforcing memberthat is attached to a proximal end portion of the insertion partconnected to the housing, and holds the proximal end portion in theshape of a straight line.
 5. The endoscope apparatus according to claim1, further comprising a self-supporting auxiliary member that has aground contact face and that is attached to a proximal end portion ofthe insertion part connected to the housing and assists the housing inself-supporting.
 6. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the manipulating part has a manipulating rod which is capable ofbeing swung, and wherein a proximal end portion of the insertion partconnected to the housing and the manipulating rod are coaxially arrangedin a neutral state of the manipulating rod.
 7. The endoscope apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the manipulating part has a manipulatingrod which is capable of being swung, and a mechanical curving mechanismin which the manipulating rod and the manipulating member are connectedtogether, and the manipulating member is advanced or retreated bymanipulating the manipulating rod to curve the insertion part.